Difference Between Phishing And Social Engineering
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Cybersecurity threats have become a pressing concern for individuals, businesses, and governments. Among the array of malicious attacks, phishing, and social engineering are two of the most insidious and prevalent methods cyber attackers use to deceive and manipulate their victims.
While often used interchangeably, Phishing Simulation Service Provider in Bangalore and social engineering are distinct concepts with different tactics and goals. In this article,
We will delve into the topic Difference between phishing and social engineering, exploring the devastating impact they can have on individuals and organizations.
Understanding Phishing
Phishing is a type of cyber attack that involves deceiving individuals into divulging sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial information, or personal data, through email, text message, or phone.
Phishing attacks typically employ a sense of urgency or fear to prompt the victim into taking immediate action, often by clicking on a malicious link or downloading a malicious attachment.
Phishers use various tactics to make their messages appear legitimate, such as:
1. Spoofing
Bogus senders may represent and use the identity of a well-known organization or person, mimicking its name, symbol, themes, etc.
2. Creating a sense of urgency
Some phishers may point to a situation whereby the victim’s account will be suspended or even hacked into if certain actions are not taken immediately.
3. Using eye-catching subject lines
The kind of subject one is likely to come across in such emails is attractive or confusing to get the intended victim to open the email.
Understanding Social Engineering
Social engineering is a broader term that encompasses a range of tactics used by attackers to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing certain actions.
Social engineering attacks focus on exploiting human psychology, rather than relying on technical vulnerabilities.
Social engineering attacks can take many forms, including:
1. CEO scams
Fraudsters pretend to be the CEO or an executive agency and tell employees about specific actions they should take or money transfers that should be made.
2. Business email compromise (BEC)
Cybercriminals focus on organizations, making employees give away money through social engineering.
3. Romance scams
They convince the victim to form a romantic relationship with them to con him/her of his/her money or to get personal details of the victim. Read more.
